PhilHealth Online Registration– Hospitalization is quite expensive, especially for illnesses and accidents with severe cases. That’s when you know how important health insurance is. And as we all know, nobody is immune to sickness which may lead to hospitalization. Health insurance is very helpful because it reduces the financial burden of unexpected medical costs and hospital bills.

Most Filipinos cannot afford their hospital bills due to expensive health care and the increasing rate of poverty in the Philippines. Luckily, the government offers the PhilHealth program intended to look after the medical needs of every Filipino to lessen their burden on paying hospital bills.

WHAT IS PHILHEALTH?

The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation or PhilHealth was created to implement universal health coverage in the Philippines. It is a tax-exempt, government-owned, and controlled corporation (GOCC) of the Philippines, and is connected to the Department of Health. Its goal is to “ensure a sustainable national health insurance program for all”, according to PhilHealth. The PhilHealth program provides support for the healthy to pay for the care of the sick and for those who can afford medical care to subsidize those who cannot.

PHILHEALTH BENEFITS COVERAGE

PhilHealth grants health assistance to qualified beneficiaries and dependents, providing them access to low-cost and quality healthcare services. Members and their registered dependents are entitled to the said health insurance benefits mandated by the government.

Members of PhilHealth pay different contribution rates and receive different benefits depending on the category they belong to.

1. Formal economy members – these are PhilHealth members with formal contracts and fixed employment terms including government employees, private employees, project-based contractors (government or private offices), entrepreneurs (micro, small, medium, and large businesses), and kasambahays.
2. Informal economy members – PhilHealth members in the informal sector or also called voluntary/individual paying members include self-learning individuals (freelancers, doctors, lawyers, engineers, etc), informal workers (public utility vehicle drivers, vendors, etc.), unemployed Filipinos (college students, and fresh graduates).
3. Overseas Filipinos – all OFWs (sea-based and land-based) are covered by the PhilHealth benefits whether they are documented or not.
4. Senior citizen – Under Republic Act 10645, all Filipinos 60 years old and above are automatically PhilHealth members, as long as they’re not covered by any other membership category.
5. Lifetime members – Filipino retirees who have paid at least 120 monthly PhilHealth contributions to qualify for a lifetime membership including individuals who are 60 years old and above, uniformed personnel 56 years old and above, retired SSS underground miners 55 years old and above, and SSS and GSIS pensioners before March 4, 1995.
6. A person with Disabilities (PWDs) – under the new law (R.A. 11228) signed by Pres. Rodrigo Duterte in February 2019, PWDs are now automatically covered by PhilHealth.
7. Sponsored members – this PhilHealth membership category consists of financially incapable Filipinos whose Philhelath contributions are sponsored by another person either the government or a private organization. This includes informal economy members from the lower-income class, orphans, barangay workers/volunteers, indigent women who are non-members and about to give birth, etc.
8. Indigent members whose income is inadequate to support their families are automatically covered by PhilHealth.
9. Qualified dependents of PhilHealth members.

Here are the family members you can enroll as dependents:

• A legal spouse who is not a PhilHealth member (Common-law partner cannot be enrolled as a dependent.)
• Children under 21 years old who are unmarried and unemployed, regardless of status (legitimate, illegitimate, adopted, stepchildren, etc.)
• Children aged 21 and above with any disability that makes them fully dependent on the PhilHealth member.
• Foster children
• Parents aged 60 and above (biological parents/stepparents/adoptive parents) who are not PhilHealth members
• Parents with a permanent disability, regardless of age, who are fully dependent on the PhilHealth member for support
• The names of dependents must be listed on the Member Data Record (MDR) of the principal member to qualify for PhilHealth benefits.

WHAT ARE THE REQUIREMENTS FOR PHILHEALTH ONLINE REGISTRATION?

To be eligible for PhilHealth benefits, you need to register as a member. But first, prepare the required documents for a hassle-free registration.

1. Basic PhilHealth requirements.

PhilHealth applicants must submit at least two copies of the fully-accomplished PhilHealth Member Registration Form or PMRF and a photocopy of the birth certificate from PSA or local civil registrar.

If you don’t have your birth certificate on hand, you can submit two valid IDs. PhilHealth accepts any Alien Certification/Immigration Certification of Registration

• AFP ID
• Baptismal certificate
• Barangay certification
• BSP ID
• National Council for the Welfare of the Disabled Person (NCWDP) certificate
• Company ID
• DSWD or Local Social Welfare Development Officer certification
• Driver’s license
• GOCC ID
• GSIS e-Card
• Insurance Commission ID
• IBP ID
• NBI Clearance
• OFW ID
• OWWA ID
• Pag-IBIG/HMDF ID
• Passport
• Police Clearance
• Postal ID
• PRC ID
• Seaman’s Book
• SEC ID
• Senior citizen ID
• UMID ID
• Voter’s ID of the following IDs for membership registration:

2. Additional requirement for OFWs.

Aside from the basic requirements, Filipinos working abroad need to submit any of these documents to prove their active OFW status:

• Valid Overseas Employment Certificate (OEC) or e-receipt
• Working visa/re-entry permit
• Valid employment contract
• Company ID issued by an overseas employer
• Certificate of employment
• Cash remittance receipt from the OFW abroad (at least two months before renewal/payment date)
• ID/Certificate issued to the OFW in the host country (iqama, Permesso di Soggiorno, HK ID, etc.)

3. Additional requirement for senior citizens.

Senior citizens PhilHealth applicants must attach two 1×1 ID pictures (taken within the last six months) to their accomplished PMRF forms.

4. Additional requirement for pensioners.

Retirees should submit two 1×1 recent ID pictures.

Also, pensioners must provide a photocopy of any of the following documents that show their retirement date or rendered service of 120 months or more:

For SSS pensioners.

• Death, Disability, and Retirement (DDR) claim form
• Retiree/Pensioner Certification

For GSIS pensioners.

• Certification/Letter of Approval of Retirement
• Service Record
• Certification/Retirement Gratuity
• Retirement Voucher issued by the GSIS

For all retired AFP, BFP, BJMP, and PNP members.

• General/Special or Bureau Order
• Letter of Approval of Retirement issued by the GSIS
• Statement of Services issued by the previous employer

For GSIS/SSS disability pensioners before March 4, 1995.

• DDR claim form
• Disability Pensioner Certification issued by the SSS/GSIS

For SSS survivorship pensioners before March 4, 1995.

• DDR claim form
• Survivorship Pensioner Certification

Other pensioners.

• Official receipts of PhilHealth contribution payments

5. Additional requirement for minors.

The accomplished PMRF of a minor applicant should have the minor’s signature and his/her guardian’s countersignature. A letter of consent from the parent or notarized affidavit of guardianship (whichever is applicable) is also required.

6. Additional requirements for enrolling dependents.

PhilHealth requires proof of relationship for each dependent you’re enrolling, such as a birth certificate or marriage certificate (whichever is applicable).

If you’re declaring a child or parent with a disability as a dependent, submit an original medical certificate that provides the details and extent of the disability.

To declare a foster child as a dependent, submit a copy of the Foster Placement Authority from the DSWD.

7. PhilHealth registration requirements for employers.

Employers who are not yet registered with PhilHealth must submit two copies of accomplished Employer Data Record (ER1) and two copies of accomplished Report of Employee Members (ER2).

Registered employers are required to report their new employees to PhilHealth by submitting two copies of the ER2 form.

To register their new employees with PhilHealth, employers need to submit two copies of accomplished PMRF for each employee.

8. PhilHealth online registration requirements for household employees and employers.

People hiring kasambahays must register with PhilHealth, Pag-IBIG, and SSS by submitting three copies of each of these documents:

• Household Employer Unified Registration Form (HEUR1)
• Household Employment Unified Report Form (HEUR2)
• Kasambahay Unified Registration Form

An authorized representative who files for PhilHealth registration on behalf of a household employer must present an authorization letter, the employer’s valid ID, and the representative’s valid ID.

Registered household employers must also report their newly hired or resigned/terminated kasambahays to the three government agencies by submitting three copies of HEUR2.

9. PhilHealth membership requirements for Filipinos with dual citizenship.

Dual citizens must submit an accomplished PMRF and a Certificate of Re-acquisition/Retention of Philippine Citizenship (CRPC) or Identification Certificate issued by the Philippine Embassy, Philippine Consulate, or Bureau of Immigration.

10. PhilHealth membership requirements for foreigners.

Foreign retirees who registered with the Philippine Retirement Authority (PRA) and are granted permanent residency status in the Philippines must submit a completed PhilHealth Member Registration Form (PMRF) for Foreign Nationals and submit their Special Resident Retiree’s Visa (SRRV) or PRA ID.

Expatriates in the Philippines should submit an accomplished PMRF for Foreign Nationals and a valid Alien Certificate of Registration Identity Card (ACR I-Card) or work permit when applying for PhilHealth membership.

PHILHEALTH ONLINE REGISTRATION STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE

Due to the pandemic, a lot of you may be wondering how to register with PhilHealth without leaving your houses to reduce the risk of contracting the virus.

Luckily, PhilHealth now offers an online system that enables Filipinos to register as members including their dependents provided that you have a computer or any mobile devices with an internet connection available.

This online service is available only to employees, self-employed, OFWs, and pensioners. Here are the steps in PhilHealth online registration:

STEP 1: Go to the official PhilHealth website. https://www.philhealth.gov.ph/#gsc.tab=0

Click on the “Online Service” located in the menu on the upper part of the page.

STEP 2: Click the “Register” button under electronic registration

STEP 3: The PhilHealth electronic registration system will appear. Click “Proceed”.

STEP 4: Read the terms and conditions, tick the small box indicating that you agree with them, and then click “Accept”.

STEP 5: Fill out the application form.

Make sure to fill in all the necessary information and double-check it before submitting it. All necessary fields are indicated with an asterisk (*).

STEP 6: Upload the PhilHealth online registration requirements and other supporting documents.

Submit all the required documents digitally with each file in JPEG, PNG, PDF, or GIF format and should be 2MB or less.

STEP 7: Enter the Captcha number provided to verify that you are a human and not a robot.

Tick on the checkbox indicating the accuracy of all the information you provided.

Lastly, click the “Submit Registration” button.

STEP 8: Check for the confirmation message through your email.

You should receive an email from PhilHealth Registration System after a few minutes. The email contains a verification link that you need to click to complete your online registration.

STEP 9: Wait for your PhilHealth number.

After the verification of your registration, you will receive another email containing a transaction number that you will use in following up on the status of your application.

Take note: The transaction number is not your PhilHealth number. Your PhilHealth Identification Number will be sent to you in a separate email after one to three weeks.

You will become an active member and eligible for PhilHealth benefits once you start paying your contributions.

With the presence of a global pandemic nowadays, the PhilHealth Online Registration is a great way to lessen the contact of registrants with others who might be infected with the virus.